My Step-brother My Second Chance Mate

Alice POV. "My dress!" "Who drenched it in water?" Ella screamed, her eyes blazing with anger. Before I could turn around to check the soaked dress, a heavy slap landed on my right cheek. As the slap struck my face, I froze, the sting spreading like fire across my face. My eyes widened in disbelief as I raised a trembling hand to the burning spot, my fingers brushing against the sharp pain. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over, but I bit my lip, trying to hold them back. I couldn't believe she slapped me over something I knew nothing about. My body tensed, and I took a step back, still trying to process what had just happened. “How could you?” her hands still up, my raging stepmother snarled. “I…I did…n't…” I stammered. “Shut up! I know you're the one. If you say anything again, I'll give you another slap. A cursed witch!” Margaret shrieked. Today is not the first time I would be beaten by Margaret but I don't mind being scolded over what I did wrong. What I hate is being punished for what I know nothing about. But why am I even surprised? This is a usual custom in this pack. I'm usually the first suspect of any wrongdoing in the pack. “Mum, my precious gown has been soaked into water by this evil girl” Ella cried, pointing at me, filled with desperation and anger, while showing her mother the already soaked dress she was planning to wear today. “Sorry, my dear. She's just a useless and worthless girl. I've given her the beating she deserves” Margaret retorted. “I'll get another one for you soon.” I fixed my gaze on both of them as I ponder on my future in this pack. Is this how my life will continue- I thought. “I'm very sorry, my mistress, I mistakenly dipped Ella's dress into the water thinking it was my dress which I wanted to wash.” Becky rushed into the sitting room, bowing in front of Margaret & Ella and pleaded for forgiveness. “Just leave my presence right now!" Margaret snapped at me, her tone sharp and cold, hiding her true emotions instead of directing her anger at Becky. Becky is the most truthful person among the members of the pack. If it was other members of the pack, having seen that I was being punished for their offense, they would rather remain silent or even join them in punishing me over their own offense. Today's the day our Lycan King's son, Harry would be choosing his mate. Every female pack member has been preparing for this special occasion for months. Over the years, the Lycan King's Luna either comes from our pack or the Dark Shadow Pack - the Lycan King's pack but most of the time, the Lycan King's mate is usually from our pack - the Moonlight Pack. The last Luna was from our pack. Today's another important day for the werewolf community in Rieles. Information reached our pack three months ago that the future Lycan King would be choosing his mate today. The largest hall in the kingdom has been hired for this program. Every young female wolf who is yet to find their mate across the two packs is naturally eligible to attend. However, my stepmother, Margaret who is the Luna of the pack said omega wolves and female wolves who haven't found their wolf yet should not attend the program claiming they are not deemed worthy to be destined as Luna to the future Lycan King. This means that I'd not be going as well because I haven't found my wolf even at age 20 where practically female wolves in the community find their wolf as early as between 16-18 years old. However, this decision was overruled when another instruction came from the Lycan King two days ago that all the mateless female wolves should be at the event whether they have found their wolf or not. It was as though the Lycan King had been informed about what was going on in our pack. Now, Margaret had no choice but to allow me and the omegas to attend the mate searching ceremony. Her daughter, Ella, had been preparing for this occasion since the announcement was made three months ago. Ella turned 18 years old a few weeks ago. Her mother, Margaret is eagerly hoping that her daughter would be chosen as mate to the handsome future Lycan King despite being aware that he has a fiancée. Everyone is eagerly anticipating tonight's ceremony. I brought out my elegant peach gown which my father got for me a long time ago as a birthday gift which I hardly wear because I barely go out. The dress makes me look both stunning and captivating. While attempting to fix the zipper on the back of my dress, I suddenly noticed a figure in the mirror. A woman-like figure approached, placing her hands on my shoulders as if to comfort me. Then suddenly, this figure tore my lovely dress off my body. It was my stepmother. I was speechless. My heart raced as I stood there, stunned and exposed. This wasn’t the first time my stepmother had humiliated me. She then moved swiftly towards my wardrobe and brought out one unkempt blue dress which I was already planning to thrash. "This is what you must wear!" She said as she threw the unkempt blue gown to me. I stood in front of the mirror, still trying to recover from the trauma of having my best dress torn. Nervously, I took up the dress and started adjusting the simple dress I’d been forced to wear to tonight’s event. It wasn’t much, but I had hoped the silver bracelet my grandmother gave me would give me some strength, a piece of her I held onto. It had always been a reminder that I wasn’t completely alone, even in this house where everyone seemed to want me gone. I reached for the delicate bracelet, my fingers tracing the cool metal as it hung from its chain on the hook by the door, but... it wasn’t there. My heart skipped a beat. Panic flared in my chest as I searched the room frantically, tearing through the drawers and even under the bed. I retraced every step I’d taken in the past few hours, but there was no sign of it. The door creaked open, and there stood Ella, her presence almost too perfect—like she had been waiting for me to look up. She was wearing a breathtaking red gown that fit her perfectly, designed to make heads turn, and her smile was as sharp as ever. "Looking for something?" she asked, her voice sweet. I stared at her, the knot in my stomach tightening. I stepped closer, my eyes scanning her hands, and that’s when I saw it. The bracelet, the one my grandmother had given me, was now wrapped around Ella’s wrist, glinting mockingly in the dim light of the room. "I—" I swallowed hard, the words sticking in my throat. "Give that back to me. It’s mine." Ella tilted her head, eyes flickering with amusement. "Oh, Alice, you always were sentimental," she extended her wrist, making the silver bracelet sparkle even more. 'It suits me better,’ she said with a wicked grin, daring me to take it back. “Catch me if you can!" Ella taunted, disappearing out of my room in a flash.